Raiders' Cooper doesn't see talent difference between SEC, NFL

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper barely missed a beat in his transition from college to the professional level in his rookie year, racking up 72 catches for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns.

While it was still a far cry from his last season with Alabama in which he posted a 124-catch, 1,727-yard campaign, the young wideout doesn't believe there's a substantial difference in talent between the SEC and NFL.

"Overall guys are better, but overall guys are smarter," Cooper said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, according to Cameron DaSilva of FOXSports. "And that's the biggest thing: Guys are smarter. The talent level, to me, probably is about the same coming from the SEC. But they're smarter, so it makes them better."

Cooper may be sticking up for his conference, but it's hard to digest that the SEC is in the same stratosphere as the NFL in terms of talent.

Even Cooper's rookie season, as impressive as it was, highlighted the differences.

In his last year at Alabama, Cooper was held to less than 70 receiving yards just twice in 14 games. He had eight such games last season with the Raiders.

Against top competition, Cooper struggled. He was held without a catch against the dominant secondary of the Denver Broncos in Week 14, and put up 49 yards in their earlier contest. Darrelle Revis held to him to just four catches, Sean Smith limited him to just 89 yards in two games against the Kansas City Chiefs, while Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay shut him down all game long, only allowing one catch.

Cooper's perspective may differ due to the fact that he was considered more pro-ready than most rookie receivers, but his viewpoint remains questionable.